August 09, 2007

Working the wires

DENVER -- While the Cubs await word on Aramis Ramirez’s sore right wrist, general manager Jim Hendry is feverishly trying to find some offensive help for the slumping Cubs.

Oakland left-fielder Shannon Stewart is probably one of a half-dozen or so players Hendry put in a claim for this week, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be wearing a Cubs uniform by the weekend.

Stewart told the San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday night that he’d heard the Cubs had claimed him, though sources indicate the Cubs are just one team that has put in a claim for the veteran outfielder.

The Cubs should know by this weekend whether or not their claim went through. Only the team that gets the claim is informed of it, meaning if another team with a worse record than the Cubs claims Stewart and doesn’t trade for him, he’s pulled off waivers and the Cubs and any other team that put in a claim will never know which teams tried to get him.

The team that’s awarded the claim will then have 48 hours to negotiate a trade. The A’s also can pull Stewart off the waiver wire without even talking to the team that claims him.

Most teams send the vast majority of their players through the waiver wires, so it means nothing if a player gets claimed unless the team putting him through waivers has the intention of making a deal. It’s all gamesmanship and high-stakes poker.

For instance, a star player like Carlos Zambrano can be put on waivers, but that doesn’t mean the Cubs have any intention of trading him.

The Cubs would probably love to get Stewart, especially if Ramirez’s injury puts him on the DL.

But it’s too soon to say something is going to happen with Stewart, or anyone else for that matter. Stay tuned.

Cruel fate? Listen to the stars Jim, they are calling for Sosa to make his return, it feels strangely meant to be now.

You looked for a vet outfielder before the deadline. No deals.
Floyd has issues.
You still looked before July 31st. No deals.
Soriano exits.
You claimed to not be looking through waivers, but we knew it was in the works.
Call on the kids.
The kids struggle.
You start piecing together the possiblities and you glance over Sosa. Even I thought it was laughable.
Ramirez exits.
Think how much you will save and how bad the Cubs need the boost. He has promised a comeback in Chicago. Energize the team, we all want a ring...

The bigger concern is that we could have A-Ram AND Soriano on the disabled list at the same time. More important than dealing for any player like Stewart is that someone on this team or preferrably SomeONES are going to have to step up or we will be done when the Brewers start winning again.

When a team like the Astros get to cripple you without our two best players, then you can expect worse from better teams.
Lou needs to fire up his team now.
Step up or be WATCHING the post season at home.
No game changing player will be available in August. Moves would have had to have been made in July & you can't blame Hendry for these 2 injuries. It's terrible luck. Our players have to put the extra work in & kick into overdrive if they really want to reach the post season.
Period.

Martin, here we go again! Wake and and smell the coffee buddy. Who do you think Hendry should trade for? Ruth, Aaron?, Mays? It is August, there aren't any star players avaialble. Stewart is a RH bat which the Cubs need. He is past his prime but he is serviceable. The Cubs could do much worse, like putting Murton in LF!!! Instead of dissing on Hendry why don't you present a viable alternative?

Get rid of Floyd -- he's a statue out there. It is painful watching him swing, when he does take the bat off his shoulder (A fastball down the middle of the plate, he watches it go by. A slider that he can do nothing with, he swings over top of it). The Cubs got him 5 years too late...of course the same could be said for Kendall.

Right now Sosa might help, but he's not an everyday player in my book. Hendry should have realized that players like Jones and Floyd are not every day players and that they needed to look elsewhere.

The Cubs should have tried to deal for Adam Dunn and maybe some other people before the trade deadline, as now it will be more difficult as teams with worse records (which most of them have) will have first dibs on the best players available.

Even then, it seems like all GM's are asking for way too much. I heard a rumor that the Reds GM asked the Cubs for Rich Hill, Sean Marshall, and Carlos Marmol for Griffey. What a joke. That one would have haunted us for years.

I said it once and I said it againg J.H. did not motivated this team at the trading dead line. boston had a great team but yet they went out and got much greater I been a cubs fan for forty years. but I am sorry to said this its not going to hapen not this year cubs have to many holes and at the end of last year I also wanted the cubs to sign carlos lee instead of soriano he was more cheaper with more production. imagen where the cubs could have been with him this year

So this is what trying to win the World Series looks like: scavenging the scrap heap on the waiver wire.

I'm a stalwart but very jaded Cubs fan, and it amazes me so many people are so quick to forget this team's history anytime they show the slightest trace of competence. Come on, it's the Cubs. They find ways to blow it.

Besides, for all the howls of panic about Soriano's injury and Ramirez's woes, this team was just above average with with both players. Even with their surge in June and July, the Cubs were still losing games to the playoff contenders they faced.

This team wasn't World Series bound, which, let's face it, is the only thing that should matter to us.

I like the move to get Shannon Stewart he could give the Cubs at least a little bit of experience, if they don't get him then the person I blame is Jim Hendry who over valued this team. I am tired of the excuse that this team is for sale.

It's "wait 'til next year" for the 99th time, sad to say. The Cubs are not going anywhere without Aramis and Soriano. They aren't going to beat anyone with only 2 starting pitchers, and they for sure aren't winning anything with D-Lee barely getting it out of the infield. It's reality, and it's the Cubs.

i understand all the issues people have if aramis goes down and all, but for god's sake can derek lee become the player he once was. he is either striking out or, when we are down by 4 or more, getting an rbi groundout. he needs to send some of these balls to the moon. i think if he heats up, it can definitely jump-start the rest of the team.

The cubs need to change their schedule!! Play less day games and more night games! The players are getting beat up and broken down after continous day games in the summer heat. Adding new players to the mix will only add new faces on those worn down bodies...

If the Cubs are looking for another outfielder, why don't they look in their farm system? I checked out their teams in Peoria, Tennessee, Iowa, and Daytona and I found five guys that are batting over .290 with an OBP over .380. We need to keep developing these young guys already in the system instead of brining in some veteran that has already proven he can't play somewhere else. I think Theriot, Fontenot and Pie have already shown what our farm teams can do for us. I have gone to some of the Chiefs games and seen what these young players are like and they are exciting.

Seriously, the guy would be a big boost offensively. What's been our biggest problem? Hitting home runs.
What other available player hits more homers? No one.
What other available player knows Wrigley better? No one.
Forget a couple bad incidents, the guy was a legendary Cub and could be again.

Why does this not surprise me. I guess after being a cubs fan for 30 years, you come to expect it. I really hope the Cubs do something to help the team, but until we get leadership in the front office and in the clubhouse we will just be the same old cubs as always. I will root as always but theres always a voice in the back of my head saying, "they'll find a way to lose"

Lou has to go back to playing and trusting the kids to get the job done. Pie will give us a defense that we simply do not have in the outfield right now, and I would lay odds he will also hit; at least he won't stand there and watch third strikes sail by!

Sosa ? What ?
Mike are you insane or just another stupid Cub fan who wished the cheating, quiting , ingrate Sosa would never had been traded?
The only 'stars" calling for a Sosa return are the ones circling your head, because youve obvisouly got drunk and fell down.

while at first I hesitated, its time to bring sammy back. He shines in the spotlite, and I think has more rbi than any cub currently. Plus he more than anyone knows what a pennant in chicago means having come so close in 2003. So lets bury the hatchet and bring sammy home.

This is typical Cubdom. While the Brewers flail like a fish out of the water, the Cubs do what they do best. Swoon in the summer heat. I wouldn't be surprised if Houston or St.Louis win the Division. Im already preparing myself for a painful August and irrevelant September.

So true Mike. I believe that Sammy is the right man for absolutely no cost at all. He is still crushing the ball and more importantly he is driving in a ton of runs. OK, not as many lately, but his play time is all over the place since the Rangers are out of the race. Still, more RBI's (72) than any Cub. I think at the very least he should come in and face all lefties (He is hitting over .320) and, if hot enough, some righties. Swallow your pride here Jimmy.
All Cub fans love you to this day Sammy.
-Pete

It does seem outrageous, but this team truly needs a guy like Sammy Sosa. Check out his home run and RBI totals. No one on this team can match his run production this season. Cliff Floyd is a broken down old man, and Jacque Jones doesn't even have warning track power these days. Even his recent hits have been bloopers, flairs, and seeing-eye grounders. An ego-reduced Sammy in a part-time role may help reverse the negative Cubs karma... it would certainly be a spark over the lifelessness of the last few days. Sweet Lou would never allow Sammy's music or entourage to get in the way of his team's Cubbie Swagger.

Does Hendry have any plan at all, I'm about tired of the constant shuttling of players back and forth from Iowa. Stewart is a good player, he'd be an improvement over Murton for sure. Maybe Hendry should have made a trade before the deadline just in case something like the Soriano injury happened. I know the team was on a roll then, but he should have expected some adversity, this is the Cubs we're talking about. You don't go 99 years without a championship without having bad luck. If Ramirez is gone too, it is probably time to begin waiting until next year. With new ownership coming in, Hendry could be looking for some sort of work with another team. If the Cubs miss the playoffs again, with this payroll, I won't miss him at all. Hopefully Zambrano doesn't leave too.

The Cubs would be better off with Jon Stewart at this point. There isn't much out there. I would let Pie play in center or left to platoon with Murton, put Jones in right and platoon him with Floyd, and whoever gets hot continues to get AB's. The Cubs need to get back on track, tonight was a good start. Everyone hitting with the exception of Lee, who seems to be in a little funk lately. Lilly a good effort tonight. They need to keep winning, StL is on their heels now, winning again tonight. Go Cubs.

I also would like to see Sammy come back to the Cubs. But someone would have to go. And the question is could he outplay any one of the other outfielders. I like Sammy because he is one of those guys that you can`t wait to see come up to the plate again. Like Ernie Banks, Dave Kingman, or Andre Dawson. I still remember the day Kingman hit three home runs. Players like that are exciting, something that has been lacking for a while.

Murton with another homer last night, and a terrific defensive play. Its a shame he doesn't have power like Cliff Floyd. What's your excuse going to be next, Jamie?

Hey-let's go get another redundant mediocre, costly and aging veteran to do exactly what a cheap ($400,000) 25 year old could do.

Unless you're going to upgrade BIG-TIME (like Adam Dunn), don't even bother. Another worthless veteran on this team is not needed. Although I'm sure people like Jamie would hate Dunn's strikeouts and ignore the .400 OBP and 40 homers. Its simple-get a true upgrade over what you have (which Shannon Stewart is NOT), or don't waste the money to upgrade. Save it for the moment the team is sold when you have to shell it out for Zambrano.

By your logic, it'd be better off if they had an all-or-nothing hitter and no pitching. That was most of the Kingman and Sosa eras. Dawson and Banks, too, but at least they weren't one-dimensional, selfish jerks.

For all those pining and whining for Sammy to return, I'm glad you don't go to the games any more. It was annoying to see an allegedly knowledgable fan base (by their own description only) not know or care about the score, but go home happy if Sammy homered.

Gee, does the fact that I think Sosa is a selfish buffoon and I don't stand up and scream every time a ball is hit in the air mean that I'm not a "true Cubs fan", despite the fact that I want them to win every game?

Hey, Don`t make fun of Todd Walker. How many second basemen hit a solid 300. I`ll tell you not very many. And Sammy has a lot of RBI`s 72 for the number of games he has played in. If it is true that he no longer acts like a primadonna I would take a chance on him. He would come very cheep. But if his head is still bigger than a basketball than forget it.